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~°🏞°~
It is by sheer coincidence on Astarion's part in which he finds out bears are also viciously adept at hunting.
He knew the first thing to do when looking for prey was to scent for injured or weakened victims. A wisp of blood from a bear was a great start to his route. Or so he thought.
His little endeavor was halted in its progress with startling realization that the bear wasn't exactly the prey he thought. It was the horde of gnolls and hyenas that had the gall to attack its cubs.
Astarion watched from the shadows, fascinated by the whole spectacle. It was carnage, and if he waited any longer he'd lose any chance to get his quota. He steeled himself before he snuck behind one of them quietly and sunk his dagger into its throat, twisting.
The spray of blood had him licking his lips, chasing after the iron taste. He whined knowing his blunted teeth prevented him from slaking his thirst.
The three ogres joined as well smashing the gnolls heads in and swinging them towards the others. Astarion paid them no heed as he quickly dispatched the remaining hyena surrounding the bear cubs.
Only to falter at finding instead, a human child with blonde hair wearing disturbingly familiar gear. They were curled protectively around an injured wolf pup. His hesitation cost him dearly when sharp jagged claws bore a gaping hole through his stomach.
He turned to look at the offender only to find a mysterious tall wood elf with horror written on his face and both simultaneously looked down at his wound. Which was starting to stitch itself back together.
Astarion took that opportunity to stab the gnoll about to tear out his throat and was startled when the man started to speak.
"Pardon my lack of manners, stranger, your kindness is a boon. As you can see we are in a bit of a mess. And judging by that injury you need quite a deal of healing. Allow me just a moment." The elf swung a staff around slicing the air with some kind of magic.
Vines erupted from the ground, twisting to grab hold of the enemies. He turned to face Astarion holding out a palm to his stomach, healing magic at his fingertips.
Astarion scrunched his face up with confusion, smacking the hand away. He didn't need this strange man's pity.
"Don't touch me." Astarion hissed, jumping back several feet. He clutched his stomach, the edges of the wound pulling with agony.
The other's hand, still flowing with magic, lowered and the green glow dissipated. The man's brow knitted together with trepidation but he nodded nonetheless, turning back to the fray of battle.
The rest of the fight was relatively short and Astarion was sorely disappointed when he realized the bear had completely disappeared.
"Mister Halsin!" The girl ran and hugged the man. Rubbing her snotty, tear-stained face against his tunic. He patted her head and gently sighed.
"There, there. Róisín, it's all right now. Lord Silvanus guided us well, to protect one of his own today. Why don't you take the cub and tend to its paw like I taught you. I'm sure they will be very happy for it." He guided the child towards a clear spot under a tree several yards away from the fallen gnolls.
How sickening. To cater to a child's whims. Let alone a Gur. If Astarion wasn't about to lose his intestines, he'd send the Gur a heart-wrenching reminder.
Trying to find the half of that healing potion he had, he rummaged through his damaged pack to find to his dismay the ruined contents of the jars of blood he saved. His hand came away holding shards of glass and wet chunks of slimy curdled blood. At least the blood potion was still intact. Finding the potion and downing the rest of it, he shook his head and surveyed the field looking for movement. Surely there was an enemy that was just on the brink of death and not wasting all their precious lifeblood on the floor of the forest. Unfortunately he knew otherwise.
Foosteps broke his concentration and he found himself once again staring up at the other elf. Tall and wide, resembling something more like a tree than a man. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you earlier. You have my gratitude for saving my dear friends and I. And if I may...you seem unwell or perhaps in need of some assistance. I am a humble healer of sorts, I only wish to help, I swear on the Oak Father's word." Their fist was placed over their chest in a strange gesture.
That custom was unknown to Astarion so instead he continued staring distantly at the bleeding bodies forlornly.
Hunger was something he was deeply, excruciatingly familiar with.
His misery always finds itself back, clawing at his throat like a poison reaching into the deepest parts. Can't keep it away any more than the flies and maggots that feast on the dead.
Keeping the thirst under control this long was difficult as well. He wanted to blame it on his insatiable appetite. But that would require him to have anything to compare it with.
After all, Master only gave him. Dead. Putrid. Rats.
He knew hunger and pain like the back of his hand. His only solace was knowing where he stood with himself. For which days were going to be good, and which ones doomed him to starve and be tortured for deigning to portray even a shred of his humanity left.
Nobody else but himself could survive in the depths of hell he's gone through. Alone from the night he was brought into this world and the moment he will ultimately perish.
"The thought is appreciated, but I do not need your help. I am merely passing through. Although..." Astarion stood and sweetly smiled up at the handsome stranger's eager face. He knew the type.
The paladin in shining armour to the damsel in
distress.
How wicked he felt knowing he was no damsel. The edge of his smile turned sharp. He knew how to play his part, to sing sweetly, to get what he wanted.
"I was tracking a bear through here but it seemed to disappear. Care to tell me if you saw which direction it went, darling? I'm in a bit of a hurry you see. Those three over there? I promised them dinner for protecting me but I lost sight of the damn thing. Guess I am next on the menu tonight."
The other man turned tense when the bear was mentioned, and gave a determined nod before walking over to the three ogres. Astarion had to scramble to chase after him cursing the festering chasm in his body.
"I would like to barter on his behalf. He is in no condition to hunt for you properly, so I will be taking his place. While I dislike this situation, I will not see any come to harm that do not deserve it." The three nodded with little to no disapproval, leaving a bewildered Astarion standing there in disbelief.
'What is he doing?!'
'What did this man mean 'on his behalf'?! This measly little cut was nothing! He's survived much worse conditions doing less savory deeds no less!'
He had meant for his tale of woe to pique the other's interest only so he could get directions. Not
for him to take his place! Who just does that of
their own free will? Certainly not himself for he was constantly far too focused on his own survival to care about others.
"Now hold on a moment! I am perfectly capable of doing things on my own and I never said I wanted you to--" Astarion threw his arms out in frustration, but was cut off when Halsin raised a hand at him. Astarion frowned and put his hands on his hips impatiently.
The image he portrayed was only making matters worse.
"It is better to err on the side of caution besides you must be in terrible shock. To see you move about so freely without much pain is strange. Even to someone like myself. I have tended many during my time under the Oak Father's blessings but rarely is it the case that the injured frolic without at least some carefully curated medicinal herbs or bandages."
This made Astarion pause in fear. Of course it was strange he was a vampire spawn. And he almost blew his cover.
Oh shit.
"Mm? Oh yes! I must be haha...ha. I suppose it's fine if you want to risk getting eaten by whatever it is, lurking in these woods. I'll just...wait right here until then." Astarion tried to play it off and leaned against a tree pretending to swoon. Halsin watched him cautiously before returning to the child's side. They exchanged a few words and then both returned to his side, the girl coddling the wolf pup.
"This here is Róisín and this our new friend...I hope you don't mind, I've asked her to keep an eye on your..." Halsin trailed off at the disgust evident on Astarion's face. It was clear that the other did not want any acknowledgement whatsoever.
"...well being. You remember the whistle I gave you? If anything happens at all, call me with it. I'll only be away for but a moment." Halsin gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze before turning away and running off into the trees.
Now it was just him and the wide green eyes of the child.
They stared at eachother with an impasse until Astarion sighed and stood up, keeping a firm pressure on his middle with one splayed hand. It was exhausting, to become someone he was not. To keep up appearances for one moment longer would be enough to make him want to snap.
"Mister Halsin said, that an injured person shouldn't move around too much." She started following him, keeping with his pace.
"Do you listen to everything people tell you?" He ignored her answer with a twitch in his eye. He just needed to get her far enough away from the others that they wouldn't hear her scream. And if they did, wouldn't make it in time.
Not like her kind gave him the same courtesy. Instead nobody helped him, not even the Flaming Fist that managed to accidently witness the scene. They left him in the middle of the city, where anyone worth a damn would notice the crime of passion.
Still not a soul deemed him worthy enough. Only injustice was served that night. Between the tolls of time and death only one stranger sought to give him a chance.
Too bad it ended up the way it did.
His luck had never been so rotten. It was the wrong place to be, alone at night, while they hunted him and beat him within the blink of an eye of his tragically short life. He had choked on his own blood as it filled his throat and lungs, his bones crunching and squelching as his last few breaths were slowly punched out of him.
He had though Cazador Szarr a god sent from Elysium. How wrong he was.
Cazador was worse than a god, the void of divine protection had never felt more empty than when he died.
A word or two from the rambling girl's mouth caught his indirect attention disrupting his downward spiral.
"...to become part of the tribe, they want me to walk in their footsteps. But...I.don't want to hurt people. I just want everyone to be friends. Like Mister Halsin, he's friends with the trees and the creatures and someday he told me that I can be friends with them too." She certainly had something about her that made the corner of his lip quirk up but he forced it back into a grimace.
He also didn't want to hurt anyone. But it did not matter what he wanted, only what his Master wanted. He grit his teeth, ignoring the tingle it brought, he needed to do this. Who knows what slander this girl would spread to her clan of monster hunters.
His palm pressed harshly against his abdomen, twisting his nausea. He couldn't tell if he was gonna be sick from the wound or the lack of proper nutrition. Or perhaps the guilt eating away at him.
"Well aren't we full of surprises? Careful now. You wouldn't want to disappoint your family, would you? Didn't anyone ever teach you how the real world works? Not everybody is as charming as I am, dear. One day they will be your friend and the next they will stab you. Right. In. The. Back."
Astarion pretended to stab her, and the wolf pup yelped protectively. Astarion bared his teeth at the furball and Róisín squeaked in surprise. "Y-you're a...a...v--" Astarion clamped his bloodied hand over her mouth. Picking the wolf up by its scruff, he looked at it once before gently tossing them to the side. They limped to defend the girl bravely, its bark soft and teeth tiny.
'Adorable, the both of them.'
"Darling...didn't your parents tell you not to trust strangers? And seeing as who you are...didn't they tell you not to trust them especially at night? I think you might be right. You're not quite fit to be a Gur." He did not intend to reach for his dagger but that was before she kicked him hard in the stomach. He fell to his knees crunched over, cursing under his breath. She scrambled away from him, desperately reaching for the wooden whistle around her neck.
He couldn't move fast enough before a shrill piercing note bounced off the dark abyss of trees. He had to be quick. He needed to run before that man returned and killed him like he did the others.
His body went numb when he realized the only path of escape was past the wide river that he had somehow missed despite its conspicuous size.
The reflection in the water made him look up, stricken with worse fear.
The haze of vermillion had started to spill into the darkened sky.
Dawn.
He backed away, retracing his steps into the forest. There had to be another path. He pulled out the notebook and shuffled through the pages in a panic. He turned to the page with shaking hands. The detailed map depicted a long winding river cutting through most of the forest. He wouldn't make it in time. He shoved the notebook back and took note of his surroundings.
He didn't have a chance to ponder his escape when a fleeting zip of compulsive magic resonated through the air, from Astarion's ring clad finger it shocked through his body. How Cazador's wards had come to be was beyond him but his feet moved of their own accord dragging him through the invisible force blocking him from crossing through the water.
The water was dense around his legs and hips, like he was trying to wade through thick, heavy molten glass.
Climbing through running water, corrosive as he stumbled through the white water rapids between the rocks and jutting splintered trees.
His limbs could barely hold his weight as he shivered from the intense burning in his guts.
His foot slipped on an algae covered boulder and he fell hitting his temple off of the sharp edge, vision blurring. The water pulled him under and he felt the filling of his lungs, acid and poison through each choke.
Until a heavy weight collided with his sinking body, pulling him to the surface.
He didn't know it but Halsin had jumped into the river as soon as he'd seen the shock of white hair disappear under the pull of the water.
He was alarmed by the whistle, thinking he'd find him by the cypress tree he'd sat under. Instead he found Róisín petrified on the riverbank pointing towards the river with a gasp.
It was clear that the stranger from before was struggling through the water despite the obvious pain he was in.
Without hesitation he'd rushed in after him thinking the worst. What if he was drowning? Was he trying to clean his wounds and just fell in? He was worried for the serious wounds he harboured.
The magic that pushed Astarion past the edge of his limits dispelled, a haunting shriek of his name in his ear. The ghost of his Master's voice, carried away by the rushing of the river he was rescued from.
But he made it to the shore, sand and bed of polished pebbles. The last thing he saw was worried hazel eyes before white hot pain seared through his skull.
~°🔮°~
Cazador had sent Dufay to get his spawn in the kennels. He'd have the truth from their lips.
Araj was still, curled in on herself. He had let her drop from his arms, like a doll. He had more pertinent issues at hand than a mortal begging for their life.
Dufay stepped inside the ballroom, Petras at hand. Cazador growled in fury. He watched satisfied at the stumble in his steps and the flinch of fear it caused in his downward gaze.
"My dashing Petras. So glad you could join us." Petras looked down with alarm at the drow woman by his Master's throne. He was suspicious when Dufay took the leather cuffs off his wrists and quickly left the room.
He dared not speak yet, his vocal cords had still not healed fully from when Master slit his throat and hung him up to bleed.
"Did I raise you to be disrespectful child? Introduce yourself to your new family at once." He tapped his ring against his goblet in annoyance.
"Yes Master. Welcome to the family dear sister." His voice was hoarse and destroyed. Still he ignored the pain. Petras put a palm to his chest and went to bow but stopped when Cazador interrupted him.
"Ah ah ah. Disgraceful. She is not to be your sister. That will not do. She is your....well unexpectedly I suppose she is to be your new mother of sorts and you will treat her with respect as my equal. Do you understand?"
Petras' eyes widened. A mother?! Equal?! No damned soul in the place was equal to Cazador. Not even Godey.
"Hello...Mother?" Araj finally lifted her head to look at him and he faltered. She...was untouched. Still alive, her heart pounding delicately inside her chest. "You have worse manners than Astarion, we'll have to work on that." She frowned at him and dared to compare him to that arsehole?!
"Also...I'm a mother now? I can't recall the last interaction I had with children but I'm sure it wasn't enjoyable...to say the least." She said snarkily. Petras was surprised she wasn't lying in her own blood for the way she spoke, and was about to say as much.
"My spawn will make it enjoyable, you'll see. Speaking of my other spawn, let us see how Astarion fares on his journey. Imago Sanguinis." With a flick from Cazador's wrist a fist sized red orb bubbled into existence that reflected the tiny image of Astarion.
"He makes slow progress yet he daudles before the Winding Water? Does everyone expect to waste my precious time like it is a commodity? I do not have the patience for this...complacency."
"Cross the damn water, you pathetic worm." Cazador watches with sadistic triumph as Astarion struggles through the tumultuous river. Yet frowns when he is saved by another.
"It seems my child has been busy indeed. His shameful habit of lying on his backside has attracted yet another bothersome addition." He dispels the orb returning his attention to the other two figures in the room.
"Now where were we?" He taps his staff, causing them to flinch at the noise in the overbearing silence.
"Ah yes...now I remember." Cazador stalks over to Petras and exposes his now dried bloody neck. He dug his nails in shallowly digging it into the hollow of his shoulder.
"Remind me, Petras. What did you do the night of the last ball?" Cazador was up to something and it made Petras' skin crawl. He tried to remember the last couple nights. The only image coming to mind is the rage in his Master's gaze as he ripped him open on the dinghy, dusty floor and rust of the kennels.
The only feeling was hunger. He'd been dried out, like a carcass left to rot in a cellar, his insides sticking together like sandpaper.
"I sat at the table with the rest of my siblings and we were forced to watch everyone undress that slut Astarion with their eyes. And then--" Cazador had snatched his chin in his hand so tightly within seconds.
"Do not speak of your brother in that regard. And do not recite with disgust at the just punishment I curated that your dear brother rightly deserved. I was referring to your own insolence, mongrel. Now what did you do two nights ago?"
"I can't seem to recall. Can you remind me again?"
Cazador's lips twitched in a scowl and he slapped Petras across the face with back of his hand, the signet ring cutting open his lip. "Still not speaking? I have ways of making you talk, stubborn little shit." His hand curled around his throat with a cold slip, pressing in where the garroted slice never healed.
"Shall I use more force, Araj? I wonder if you will still think he deserves mercy after he confesses his crimes? The truth, or shall I bite off your tongue next?"
"Piss off." Petras wanted to headbutt Cazador so badly, but lost the nerve completely when Cazador lifted a brow and forced Petras' mouth open with a thumb. He licked into his spawn's unwilling mouth, his teeth biting down hard on his tongue. Petras screamed, yanking his head back but was caught under fang.
Satisfied at the point he made, he withdrew licking his teeth.
"Ngh, you bastard!" Petras yowled in pain, trying to pull away from his Master's iron grip.
"I've grown tired of these pretentious games, Petras. I'll have the truth now before you really anger me. And remember, Astarion isn't the only whore among you spawn. I'll gladly have you on this floor, even with the given audience." Cazador spoke into his ear sending chills up his spine. Cazador's eyes were blazing red, Petras swallowed the lump in his throat. Averting his eyes he finally surrendered.
"My mark left the gate so instead I found a woman on a walk in the park. She had come from a group discussing the contents of some stupid book. She denied my invitation so I got angry. I dragged her into the bushes and bit I-I mean... and then I presented--" Cazador tightened his grip onto Petras' throat that would make any other choke on their dwindling breath, yet it only made him cry out in pain.
"Do you think me so stupid, that I would not recognise when you break my rules, pet?" This made Petras angry. At least he brought a mark home unlike Astarion. Why did he get it so easy?
"Since you refuse to comply, then you leave me no choice. I will display your disobedience to our guest and she will choose a fitting punishment." Cazador dragged him by his hair to kneel in front of Araj. She looked so small to Petras. He hoped she wasn't a bitch about things and just got it over with.
"This vile child of mine, raped a random woman in public, where any pedestrian could see. He then ignored my first tenet, and drank her blood without my express permission. Seeing that she still lived, he charmed her to return to my castle and deceive me that she was his mark when she clearly was not. Then he presented her to me as a trophy he justly won." Cazador wrote out his misdeeds plainly he cuffed him in the back of his head when he finished. Vitriol in each denouncing word.
"I see. What punishment did he receive for these transgressions?" She looked at Petras with disgust and he hated it. Women were nothing but potential food and a quick fuck to him. It meant nothing. They meant nothing.
"I sought out every drop of her blood from his body. He remained drained until you and I concluded our vows."
"That's it? Why even bother letting him go at all? If it were me I'd of made him an example already." Cazador narrowed his eyes. Is she already trying to usurp his power over his spawn? Or does she have yet another agenda? He wanted to test that theory.
"I suppose you are right, Araj. I should make an example of him. Petras. Drink her blood." They both swung their heads to look at Cazador in incredulous disbelief. Petras could not linger though as he was already fangs deep in her neck due to the command. Araj's moans and screams of pain were unnatural. Blood drinking was supposed to be beautiful, of pleasure. Or made of fear and ruin. Entropy was cosmic, in this house, yet his children did not treat it as such.
"Stop, that will be enough. You shred her veins like a newborn. Watch me; learn." Cazador ordered Petras to pay attention.
The minutiae of the caress as he found the apex of her pulse point. The strategic placement of his fangs as he bit softly into her neck with grace. There was no rush or desperate attempt at feeding. His throat swallowed with calm measured gulps.
Her body became slack, her faint gasps of air stilting with finality. He let her neck go, his fangs slipping with ease. He licked his lips and spit to the side, a grimace at the foul taste.
Petras on the other hand was fighting the urge to vomit. "Why did she taste like that? Eugh!" Petras was bent at the knees feeling nauseaous.
Ignoring Petras and his lack of palate, he picked her up underneath the knees and shoulders, turning to his spawn.
" Follow and do not ever speak of this matter. "
Cazador walked out of the room making sure the hallways were empty and across the hallway to the chamberlain's quarters. He lay Araj gently on the bed pulled the covers over her, caressing her cheek. The display of gentleness was terrifying to Petras. Who was this man, and what happened to his Master?
He closed the door and walked back to the ballroom ordering Dufay to gather everyone in the palace.
A disruption to his plans will make his upcoming preparations difficult. First and foremost he had a celebration to discuss. Privileges to be realigned. Along with a new member of his family to introduce. He bit his nail in lack of etiquette and growled. Time was of the essence and he was running out of it.
"Everyone is here Master. We await your word." Dufay spoke bowing low, ensuring nobody looked their Master in the eye to provoke his ire. Good.
"I'm sure you all have worries. Dismiss them. In due time I will present to you a welcome change in our home. But before that, Petras has earned himself rightful place as my favourite spawn tonight. Leon will move back into the dormitory with the others."
"But what about my daughter! I don't tr--" Leon was hushed by Dufay.
"Silence! My word is final. Your concern for your daughter is admirable but unnecessary. I have promised you several times she will not come to harm. Yet you still continue to question my charity? You have made a grave mistake by your daughter and now will see what happens. Dufay." Leon is taken by the arms and forcibly removed from the crowd by some servants. They disappear and then reappear before Victoria can say anything.
"Yes Master?" Dufay responds meekly, losing any prior bravado he had managed to maintain.
"The entire upper floor will remain off limits from every member of the staff; including yourself, and my children. Anything you may wish to retrieve from your quarters will go through me. Understood?" Dufay opened his mouth to refuse but thought better of it. He nodded against his better judgement.
"You may reside downstairs until that time. You may not however make any permanent changes to the boudoir during your stay. Also should we continue our scheduled affairs, you will remain elsewhere. See to your duties, you are all dismissed. Victoria, a word." Cazador waited until everyone retreated to the lower floor and then closed the ballroom door.
She lingered shyly, her blonde hair curling around her face, and her arm held in place by the other behind her.
"My dear, I have a special place for you, very safe, never mind your father for now. Amanita, come." From one of the rooms that hid in each corner came a petite young girl with short cropped black hair.
"Uncle, you know I detest that name. What have you come to demand of me this time? Do you want me to kill this mortal?" Her voice was sweet and cherubic. Yet her words in contrast made her register devoid of emotion.
"You think so little of me, I'm hurt Amanita. I do not wish dear Victoria any harm, rather the opposite. Bring her to the attic, I will send a servant twice a night to give her food and attend to her. You may return to the shadows once she is adequately acquainted with the space."
"As you wish Uncle. Though about the matter we spoke of last time. It has begun." Amanita guided her away presumably towards the attic, leaving him finally to his musings.
Cazador rarely called out to his niece. He abandoned her when she refused to leave the attic and starved herself in her self induced exile. Even when she renounced her family name he did not call out to her.
He did not acknowledge her change of title nor her disapproval. To him she was still his niece, his once betrothed to whom will come to terms of her new existence on her own time. Though it has been a century or more since the adjustment.
With this newest addition to his brood however, he could make his forgotten and untouched plans come to fruition once more. His plans involved Victoria far more than Leon ever dared think for. The foolish man should have listened if he wished to protect her from this world.
This situation was predictably stirring. Waterdeep held a promise of something beyond his reaches. Here in his proclaimed territory, that which dwells undeneath, lies the ambitious dream not even his ancestors hoped to dare for.
He'll make ruin of those that begrudged him, ridiculed and told him he'd fail. He'll be the last one laughing in the end, surrounded by glory and thousands of loyal children to do his bidding.
~°🦇°~
Halsin was panic stricken when Astarion started screaming, clutching his mouth and writhing in pain. He used his druidic magic to feel for injury and that's when he realized what Astarion really is.
Astarion's eyes were wide, slits of glowing red, frenzied fluttering as he tasted the air. His nostrils flared and he wrestled with himself, either to attack or recoil at his harmless touch.
He bared his teeth in a hiss when Halsin reached out to assess his injury in his mouth and he jerked back with a startle, clamping his mouth shut.
'Oh! He's a--' Halsin pauses in his examination.
"Mister Halsin wait! Don't get too close he's a vampire!" Róisín shouts from halfway across the water, she had jumped onto a tree that fell, like a makeshift bridge. The rushing of the river drowned out her pleas to get away.
"S-stay away. Your blood. I can't...Master will--" with a glassy look he looked around in fear and fell unconcious due to the induced stress.
"Yes little one, I am well aware of that now. Do not worry, I fear he will be too preoccupied to do any real harm to us. Come this way, we will find shelter for now. The Oak Father does not turn his gaze from any of his creatures, no matter how dangerous they might be." Halsin looks up at the sky, a sunrise the colors of dandelions, yarrow, sage brush and calendula. He looks down at the vampire in his arms, jolting in a panic at the sloughing skin turning to ash.
Looking for immediate shelter he sees a cave on the horizon. Once inside he places Astarion gently on the ground, and motions for Róisín and the wolf to stay put. He sneaks forward through the cave sniffing and waiting. He kneels down to examine what looks like tracks of a large wild animal and stands.
"I will be back momentarily, stay here." He turns and follows a curving tunnel that is lined with feathers and bones. If he was correct in his findings this cave belonged to an owlbear. Two it would seem by the set of fresh prints in the wet clay under his shoes.
He rounds a tight bend in the tunnel, coming to a large spacious grotto, lined with damp moss and a small waterfall and pond. Morning sunlight spilled in curtains, blanketing the center of the room in a warm glow, leaving the walls shaded a fair distance away.
Like he expected to find, on the edge of the cove is a resting owlbear and their cub. If he made an offering pleasant enough, they would share the space without much hassle. He hoped anyway.
He withdrew his pack from his shoulders and procured a hyena he claimed from earlier. He had planned to give it to the wolf but this situation seemed a higher priority. The motion of him placing the hyena towards the two woke the sleeping giant.
He stepped away to sit in the shade so as to appear non-threatening. The owlbear watched him cautiously before speaking.
"You intrude in my home, elf. Yet you have given me spoils of a hunt. Why?" The maternal instinct makes her hide her cub protectively.
"We require nothing but sanctuary, friend. We do not wish you or your child harm. Just simply resting until one of our own is recovered. If that is alright with you of course?" Halsin speaks quietly in a whisper, so not to spook the cub.
"Curious. That someone of your species does not wish to hurt us. Very well, kindness was given, therefore I shall grant you protection by not consuming you, elf." She gives him a final glance before nudging the hyena towards her cub.
Halsin retreats back to the entrance. Róisín is keeping her distance grumpily from a now unconcious Astarion. He cradles his form gingerly and softly speaks to Róisín as they walk through the tunnel.
"The owner of this cave has graciously allowed us to stay here, do not cause trouble for them. Also prior to this moment I wish to understand what transpired between the two of you, and make no mistake I will not let harm come to him until I fully understand what has happened." He finds a safe distance from the cascading sunlight and deposits Astarion on the soft blanket of moss.
Immediately Halsin begins his examination again. Directing his magic to search for internal injury as well as superficial. His discovery of scar tissue and damaged organs tells him a history of chronic induced trauma. He tried his best to heal everything he finds in this stranger's bruised and broken body.
He paused at the jaw. His magic did nothing to the apparatus causing the other immense pain. Moving on he focused his energy on finding the intestines and the bored hole in the man's stomach. Confused instead at finding a freshly healed jagged scar. Vampiric healing was not just a thing of fable it seemed.
He pressed his lips together in a silent fury for the first time that day. The vast injury to the man's lower extremities told him something of a tragic past that reminded him of his own. Something snapped like a loosened arrow inside of him. Made him want to protect this unknown person despite the dangers he'd face.
Most of the vampire's old injuries were soothed, though some of them just did not accept his magic. The large pattern of scar tissue on his back for one, almost like the wounds themselves had never fully healed. Along with several bite marks that covered his neck and shoulders, and the internal damage of his lower orifice.
His touch did not linger after his magic drained away the very last dregs of torn and shredded muscles.
Halsin relaxed against the stone wall, the cool press of it alleviating the tension along his shoulders. He brought his waterskin to sip from and sighed at the sight of Róisín and the pup.
They had fallen asleep, curled against eachother.
He finished his water grabbing an apple from his pack and got up to disembark once again.
He turned to the owlbear to explain himself. "I will be taking a short leave, I require some medicinal herbs and I fear my friend needs some more attending to. May Silvanus protect you both." He lowers his head and places a fist against his chest in respect before sprinting out of the cave.
~°🔥🗡💥°~
Everything burned hot as Karlach ran for her life, her assailant on her trail. She did not know the exact reason why she was attacked the moment she escaped to Baldur's Gate. Yet it did not matter. She was free. She could breathe fresh air and while she felt combustible, she enjoyed the refreshing breeze as she trampled through the forest.
Her joy was throttled from her when she violently plowed into someone. Something? She smelled singed fur before looking around to find the culprit. A cave bear off to the side rubbing at its nose was a definitive strange sight. She brushed herself off and cursed loudly.
"Ahh, for fuck's sake, c'mon mate. A bear? A bear of all things!? No Karlach! Keep it together girl. You just need to get through this godsdamned forest and get to someplace safe." She took a deep breath and grabbed the greataxe that fell from her hand. She retraced her steps to look for the bear but only found a single clump of fur.
No tracks, only silence. She listened through the whistle of trees, beyond the eerie birdsong. Yet still found nothing. She shook her body to let go of her pent up tension and turned around.
She jumped and shrieked, finding her stalker leaning against a tree his arms crossed casually.
"I can do this all day devil. Or should I say Advocatus Diaboli." The man frowned at her pointing his rapier threateningly, keeping her at his front as they circled each other. She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well well well, thought I'd outrun you by now. Guess I need to pick up the speed, Wyll, the Blade of Frontiers." Karlach feinted going right, and instead spun around his left flank now facing the man's exposed back. Her axe was raised above her head ready for a downwards blow but he quickly interceded and blocked the strike. Metal and metal sung in the air, like the cry of a harpy.
"You can run, but you can not hide from me. I know why you've come. Karlach, Zariel's Gladiator. Over my dead body will I let you burn the Sword Coast to ash." The man pushed with all his strength but could not match her stability with brute force.
"You've got it all wrong! I'm not out to hurt anyone!" Karlach's foot slipped in the loosened soil and rotting leaves. She lurches back, attempting to right her posture, barely missing the swing of the blade as it swishes in the air with a hiss.
"Liar! I know your kind! Only devils like you sharpen your tongues with deception! You'd lure an unsuspecting victim just to push them off the edge!" Wyll adjusts his grip on the hilt of his sword taking an offensive pose.
"Wait a minute! Did you just call me a damned devil? Are you blind, or just a plain fool? Can't you tell the difference between a tiefling and a devil? What? You think just because I have horns and a tail, that automatically makes me a devil? Sounds a bit problematic to me, mate. Might want to get your eyes checked." Karlach pointed her finger at him accusingly.
"No! I'm not listening to more of your lies. That's what's you want isn't it? To throw me off your trail so you can sneak off somewhere. I'm not buying it. Now, it's time for you to end." Wyll whipped the blade around in a wide arc, its aim at Karlach's throat to behead her.
He's thrown off balance when a bear charges into him. He looks up in total surprise at the unexpected interruption. He's bewildered at the sight. A bear protecting someone like her. It was ridiculous.
"It's you! Thanks furball I owe you one. Sorry about before! " Karlach ran in the opposite direction, waving behind her.
The bear growled with teeth, preventing Wyll from moving momentarily. He'd fought and conquered demons and abberations, monstrosities alike. A bear was nothing compared to what he'd seen. He still didn't dare move. He was a coward, who let his target get away yet again.
With a huff the bear stomped away after her.
Wyll sighed and let his head hang, staring solemnly at his blade. What if she spoke the truth and he was chasing an innocent tiefling?
No!
Her words were messing with his head. Yet there was doubt lingering and he grit his teeth at the displaced guilt he felt. His eye itched terribly and he closed it to rub with a fist, hissing at the burn on his knuckles. He had gotten too close and paid the price for it.
Karlach looked beside her when the bear returned to her side. She did a double take when magic enveloped the bear and revealed an elf.
"Woah! Hey now, I don't wanna fight! Let's talk about this! I don't know what you want with me but I'm not someone to mess around with!" Karlach stopped, her feet ploughing into the moist earth. She held up her axe in a defensive position. Relaxing almost instantly when he put his hands up to show he was unarmed.
"Fear not, I mean you no harm. Are you versed in magic? I mean I don't want to assume but I'm in dire need at the moment." Halsin spoke urgently, having no idea how long its been since he left the cave. For all he knew things were fine and he was just overreacting. But there was a nagging feeling that told him, something was about to happen.
"Sorry mate, can't say I am. Unless it happens to be infernal magic. Gods, I know I've seen enough of it that I'd be able to recognize it anywhere. So? Where's it at?" Karlach put her hand on her hips, her axe safely stowed on her back. She started walking in a random direction, until Halsin pointed towards the cave entrance.
"Ah, forgive me, the magic is not in a talisman, it is a person. I'm afraid I've done all I can but the magic is unknown to me. If I understood it better I could figure out a way to break it." Their voices echo in the tunnel, and by the time they emerge the owlbear is defending her cub, her wingspan open to distract and a shriek in her throat.
"Elf! It is you!" Her wings curl up against her side again, her stance relaxing as she takes in the new stranger. "And you bring yet another in need of healing? You are interesting..." The cub peeks out from its parents legs curiously chirping as it sniffed the air.
"Hungry! Food!" Halsin laughs, already bringing a fresh catch from his pack.
Karlach couldn't help but coo at the sight. "Aww, what an adorable little bugger."
"I fished from the river plenty for all of you to sustain yourself. The cull was needed to allow for new fauna to grow. May their sacrifice be not in vain." Halsin laid out a small pile of fish, the spectrum of many colors and sizes. He also procured a large water jug and brought it over to the small pond, releasing even more living fish and plants to build a new ecosystem to thrive in it.
He nodded at his work and brought Karlach over to his resting companions.
"This man has been injured quite severely but I'm afraid that is not the worst of it. There seems to be a magic that...I cannot grasp at. Here, come take a closer look." He pointed to Astarion's mouth and shuffled back, allowing Karlach to invade his space wincing at the radiating heat.
"Hmm, ah?" She leaned back with a tense frown. "Sorry mate ...I don't think there is anything I can do. He's already -- ya know?" She made a throat slicing motion with her thumb, getting up to leave but Halsin whispered low, stopping her.
"I may not have been entirely forthcoming when I approached you for help. He is not dead, I can assure you." He reached out with steady hands to pull back Astarion's up lip revealing the metal bit. The silver reflected the flames licking off Karlach's form.
She exchanged a look with Halsin's serious one. "So you're telling me, he's a vampire? Well why didn't you say so. As one misunderstood misfit to another, I can assure you, I would not judge him based on what he is." She peered closer at the intricate detailed script that ran along the band across Astarion's teeth.
The silver muzzle seemed to have cauterized his gums, large blisters forming around the sensitive tissue. Seems the issue at hand was that it wasn't coming off.
The words were foreign to her and while the piece itself wasn't infused with it, there was definitely some form of infernal magic emanating from the man.
"I don't feel any infernal coming from the thing in his mouth. But there is something coming from him, maybe on his body somewhere?"
They searched around him trying to pinpoint where the aura of dark magic was coming from but alas to no avail. It was likely the residue of it dissipated into thin air.
"Ugh, this is harder than I thought! Where did it come from?!" Karlach scratched at her broken horn, a scowl interrupting her concentrated face.
"Whatta 'bout any weird marks on him?" Karlach pursed her lips, a finger tapping on her thigh.
Wordlessly he turned the unconscious man onto his side carefully to expose his scarred back. He had not seen the pattern until now, just knew the existence of the crude markings from his earlier assessment.
"What the actual fuck is that!?" Karlach traced the scars in the air, confusion and horror on her face.
She held up a hand to her mouth and motioned for Halsin to put the clothes back into place. "I think I'm going to be sick." Halsin watched her, contemplative. Was the scars meaning worse than he thought? He was sure they were the marks of either self-flagellation or inflicted by another party. The purpose of such a thing couldn't be good by any means.
"So? Was there anything that could help us remove the magic? Or ease his discomfort at least?" He studied her crouched form as she scrubbed her hair with her eyes scrunched closed. Her tail twitching anxiously behind her.
"There's no removing that mouth piece...And those despicable infernal sigils? They're bound to his flesh and soul, we couldn't remove it even if we tried. Though it sort of looks like a contract...it's missing some parts. I can't really read it properly." Karlach took a deep breath to calm herself, last thing she wants to do is lose her already dwindling control.
"It's not where the magic was coming from, but what is it?" Halsin was perturbed eyes downcast taking in every inch of the vampire in repose.
"I've no clue, but the poor guy definitely needs some help. Have you tried a cleric or wizard? I don't know much about magic to be honest, I've been stuck for a realllyyyy long time."
Halsin sighed, resigned that he could do no more to help the kind stranger that helped him. Until he is struck by a reckless idea. He's on his feet in seconds leaving the cavern in a rush before anybody can stop him.
Karlach goes to call after him but then recalls she'd never gotten the wood elf's name.
She surveys the damp, dark hollow and tries to find a space to put up her own designated tent. She might as well stick with the druid, as she had nowhere else to go. She starts a fire to gain some light, cooking some of the fish, the smell mouthwatering.
The owlbear cub purred attempting to snatch a piece but got nipped by his mother. They left shortly after, since the night meant it was prime hunting time. The young one was getting in the habit of being spoiled already.
The crackling of the fire wakes Róisín's wolf cub and he bounds over sniffing at the aroma. She offers him a skewered fish and watches the entrance for any signs of Halsin's return. It takes much longer than she thought.
Its hours later, Karlach had nodded off leaning against the pole of her tent, a scorched thing full of holes and burn marks. The fire is smoulding, ash rising and smoke trailing through the tunnel.
Halsin comes in drenched, covered in splotches of blood and dripping water. A crocodile is hanging over his shoulder. Its barely breathing, the hint of a growl in its throat in protest when he carefully places it in the shallow pond. He talks to Karlach in a low hum as he approaches with determination.
"This is the only way I can think of. To find an injured animal or creature with enough blood that could sustain a vampire for a day or two. I scoured the entirety of the forest trying not to alert anything that might not be too friendly." Halsin lingers by the dying campfire peeling his wet tunic off his well toned torso.
Karlach watches with a blush rising to her cheeks, her flames burning hotter. She clears her throat and rekindles the fire before she can say anything embarrassing. "Why not just give him your blood? Why go through all the trouble?"
"Ahh, well...He said he can't. Something about a master." That's when it clicks.
This was not a vampire, but a vampire spawn.